Shoe having an ankle stiffener



June 8 1926.

J. E. SWANSON SHOE HAVING AN ANKLE STIFFENER Filed August 5 1924 v 5 m Ys H n A M m m5 N w HE l n m d flflnnhhhwflhh M V1 ..0 5 a 3 a m FPatented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN E. SWANSON, or JAMAICA PLAIN, M ss on snrrrs.

SHOE HAVING AN ANKLE STIFFENE'R.

Application filed August 5, 1924. Serial No. 730,173.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes and. the general objectthereof is to bone or steel. struts extending upwardly along the wallsof the upper of the shoe which embrace the ankle of the wearer. Theserigid stiffening devices prevent flexibility of the upper in thedirection of the normal ankle 1110\(31'1161113 of the shoe and alsofrequently chafe and otherwise injure the ankle ot the wearer.

The present invention comprises a stiffening member located at the rearof the shoe and extending upwardly in parallelism with the Achillestendon and is so constructed .as to be "flexible in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the shoe, -;but substantially inflexible indirections normal thereto.

A preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Fig. l is a perspective viewof-a moccasin type of shoe, a portionthereof being broken away to show the position and arrangement of acombined counter and heel stiffener embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of a preferred form of combined counter andheel stiffener;

liig. 3 a detail view of the rear portion of the quarters of the shoewhich overlap alongthe median portion of theheel and illustrating alsothe method in which a pocket is providedto receive the counter andstiffener;

Fig. i is a horizontal sectional view through the upper and quarters ofthe-shoe illustrated in Fig. 1, illustrating the overlapping quarters atthe rear of the heel with the counter and stiffening member therebetween;

Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 6 is a similar horizontal sectional view on line (6 Fig. 2.

The invention is illustrated in the ac- 5 is a sectional view on line 55Fig.

companying drawing as applied to a shoe of the type disclosed in} myprior application No. (388,604 filed January 25, 1924, iPatent N 0.1,521,338 granted December 30, 1924, which relates to a shoe and themethod .of constructing the same comprising quarters overlapping therear of the shoe so assembled as to provide a pocket to receive thecounter for stiffening the heel of the shoe.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention the shoe or moccasincomprises an integral sheet 1 of suitable material, such as softleather, which underlies the footin place of the usual insole-with anedge portion 2 thereof extending along the sides and around the toe ofthe shoe and a broader integral portion 3 which forms one of thequarters of theshoe. The other quarter l of the shoe is suitably secured.to the upturned toe portion of the quarter andthe rear ends 5 and ,6 ofthe respective quarters are overlapped at the rear heel portion of theshoe. The sole 7 is SGClll'GCltOythG shoe i n-the usual manner. 1

The rear end portionsof the quartersare overlapped and secured togetherin such a manner as to provide a pocket vtherebetween to receive thecounter and heel stiffening member or members.

In the preferred constructionillustrated the upper rear portions ofthequarters present straight edges S and .9 respectively which mergeintoreverse or ogee curves, thecurves 10 and 11 of the edges of-the portion5 of the quarter 41 as illustrated being slightly g-reaterthan thereversecurves 12 and 18 of the quarter. 8 so that before the quartersare assembled the reverse curves will occupy the position illustrated bythe dotted line 14 in Fig. 8. These quarters are then secured togetherby lines of stitching 15 and 16 lo cated adjacent the edge of theqnartersand as the reversely curved portions 10 and .11 of the rearportion 5 of the quarter 4 are stitched to the quarter at the edges aredrawn backward slightly as illustrated in such a manner as to form apocket 17, such as illustrated in Fig. 41,.betweenthe quarters.

This pocket, therefore, presents a relatively broad area at the rear ofthe lower portion of the heel which is gradually reduced, butcontinnesupwardly between the upper parallel edges 8 and 9 of the quarters to thetop of the shoe or to such position as may be desired.

The combined counter and stiffener which ankle stiffener.

is inserted in the pocket 17 may be made of any suitable material, suchas resilient metal, stiff leather, cardboard, or a combination of stifffibrous material and metal, celluloid, or any other thin flexiblematerial which is flexible in one direction, but relatively inflexibleat right angles thereto.

A preferred form of counter which is illustrated in Figs. 2, 5 and 6comprises a body portion 18 having reversely curved symmetrical edges 19and 20 which correspond to the reversely curved sides of the pocket 1011and 12-13, the reversely curved edges 19, 20 merging into straightparallel edges 21 and 22 of the ankle-stiffening portion 23 of thecombined counter and The ankle-stiffening portion 23 desirably is ofmuch thinner material than the counter to provide flexibility in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the shoe. The counter and anklestiffener desirably are beveled or skived down to relatively thin edges.The lower end of the body portion is provided with an inwardly extendingflange 24 adapted to be lasted or otherwise secured to the sole of theshoe. Both the counter portion 18 and the extension therefrom formingthe ankle stiffener desirably are cylindrically curved in cross sectionto conform to the curvature of the rear heel portion of the shoe so thatthe counter and ankle stifiener may be concealed when assembled withintheshoe and the form of the shoe is preserved. The oombined counter andstiffener 18 thus formed is inserted in the pocket and the shoe finishedin the usual manner.

The shoe therefore, when assembled, is provided with a counter whichembraces the rear of the heel and with a stiffening member which extendsupwardly at the rear of the Achilles tendon of the foot.

By reason of the fact that the counter presents a relatively wide basethe ankle-stiffening portion 23, which is integral therewith, is rigidlyheld against lateral movement and the ankle stiffener is substantiallyinflexible to edgewise movements, that is, movements which are in adirection substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. Theankle stiffener, however, is flexible in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the shoe when the upper of the shoe is fastenedabout the ankle of the wearer by lacings or other usual means (notshown) and therefore does not appreciably restrict the normal movementof the foot of the wearer. Thus a relatively inexpensive construction isprovided which will effectively hold the ankle of the wearer againstlateral movement, but will not interfere with the normal flexibility ofthe shoe in the direction of its axis which is required in walking.

VJhile the invention is particularly adapted for childrens shoes whichdesirably should be so constructed as to sup port the .childs ankles, itmay be employed with equal efiiciency for skating shoes or any othertype of shoes which requires an ankle support. The invention also iseffective to prevent running down of the sides of the shoe whichcommonly is caused both by children and adults and thus preserves thelife and appearance of the shoes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A shoe comprising a sole and an upper to embrace the ankle havingquarters overlapped at their rear ends and secured together to provide apocket extending upwardly from the central rear portion of the heel, anda stiffening member located within said pocket which is flexible in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the shoe, but substantiallyinflexible in directions normal to said longitudinal axis.

2. A shoe comprising a sole and an upper to embrace the ankle havingquarters overlapped at their rear ends and secured together to provide apocket extending upwardly from the'central rear portion of the heel, anda stiffening member, located withn said pocket, of cylindrically curvedcross section corresponding to the curvature of the rear heel portion ofthe shoe having a lower portion forming a counter and a relativelynarrow portion forming an ankle stiffener.

3. A shoe comprising a sole and an upper to embrace the ankle havingquarters overlapped at their rear ends and secured together to provide apocket, the lower end of which embraces the rear heel portion, saidpocket presenting reversely curved edges which converge upwardly andmerge into a substantially vertical extension throughout the ankleportion of the shoe,

'and a stifiening member, of cylindrically curved cross sectioncorresponding to the curvature of the rear heel portion of the shoe,located within said pocket, having its edges conforming substantially tothe contour of the edges of the pocket, whereby the lower portion formsa counter and the relatively narrow upper portion an ankle stiffener.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN E. SWANSON.

